A Healthy Family Is a Happy Family

Did you know September 26th is National Family Health & Fitness Day? It's a great day to remember that our children are watching what we do. And that's a big incentive to demonstrate healthy habits. Here's how making smart health choices will benefit everyone in your family:

1) Have a weight loss goal? Setting and achieving goals is a great lesson for kids.

One of the questions your child is likely to be asked someday when she applies for a job is to identify a challenge she's met. Tackling a challenge head-on and winning defines and builds character. You can model successful behavior by sharing your journey with your family, including the times you might stumble. Let your children ask questions or pick a time each week to update them on your weight loss. A family dinner is a perfect time for your weekly update, especially if it's a healthy meal.

2) Reducing stress to reduce emotional eating? A calmer home benefits everyone.

For many, a tough day at the office or a fight with the spouse leads to an evening of overeating. Comfort food is a favorite feel-good drug, and learning not to reach for the chips when we're feeling down is one of the most beneficial lifestyle changes many of us can make. Grab the kids and go for a walk instead. Or forget your troubles with a family game night. Even taking five minutes to sit in a quiet room and practice deep breathing can go a long way toward soothing your nerves. Your calmer demeanor will radiate to the rest of your family.

3) Making menu changes? Change their choices as well.

He (or she) who controls the grocery shopping also controls what's in the fridge, and if you stock it with lean meats and fresh vegetables, your family will discover new favorite snacks. If there are no chips in the house, those carrot sticks look a lot more appealing. If soda pop is only a memory, a cool glass of water refreshes just as well. Common wisdom holds that a repeated behavior becomes habit after 21 days, but don't give up if your family takes a little longer to stop searching for the ice cream. Recent research suggests the average person takes about two months to lock-in a new habit. Your kids will get there.

4) Cooking at home to ensure healthy meals? Healthy families are built at the dinner table.

Did you know family dinners boost children's vocabularies even more than being read aloud to does? Regular family meals also have a correlation to high achievement scores for school-age children. Of course the health benefits of a properly balanced meal are obvious, but scientists have found a family meal's health benefits extend even to improved asthma symptoms. Why do family meals make children healthier? Scientists suggest that kids who regularly eat with their parents are simply happier.

5) Moving your body to stay healthy? Get the kids moving, too.

Exercise is contagious and if your children see you walking, jogging, bike riding or swimming, they are likely to be active as well. You don't have to spend a lot of money to keep everyone moving since the children probably already have shoes appropriate for walking and an inexpensive soccer ball can provide hours of high-energy activity in your own backyard. Have fun!